A mosquito pool in the Nebraska Panhandle has recently tested positive for West Nile Virus according to a Panhandle Public Health District (PPHD) news release.
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The researchers hope the understanding of how viruses replicate using the body’s reaction to mosquito bites could pave the way for more effective treatments by addressing the source of the infection – the bite itself.
Most people infected with the virus do not become seriously ill, but some experience flu-like symptoms and about 1 percent of them can develop serious neurologic illness.
While some residents said the mosquitoes hadn’t been too bad this year, others were already taking precautions.
Goodman noted at the time that Yolo County is prime mosquito territory given the swaths of agricultural land and wildlife areas where pools of standing water provide the flawless breeding ground. “They fly and they fly a few miles at a time”.
The mosquitoes found in traps set in Kersey, LaSalle, Greeley/Evans and the Idaho Creek area of Longmont have tested positive with West Nile Virus. It’s focusing on crows and blue jays. The cycle continues when mosquitoes are infected by biting a bird that carries the virus.
In 2015, West Nile was a serious enough concern that chemical sprayings took place in several local municipalities, including Phoenixville and Horsham. The city of Fort Collins operates 53 mosquito traps, and the collected mosquitoes are analyzed weekly.
“If you see any line below this distinct red line then that means that test is positive”, Tulsa County Health Department’s Scott Meador said.
West Nile virus is transmitted to humans from the bite of an infected mosquito. In Dallas County however, a resident has been diagnosed with the infection.
Take extra precautions when going outdoors at dawn and dusk when mosquitoes are most active. Residents are also advised to drain any standing water, use insect repellent with DEET during outdoor activities, wear long-sleeved shirts and trousers when outside and to exercise all these precautions especially during dawn and dusk.
DEET – Apply insect repellent containing DEET, picaradin, oil of lemon eucalyptus or IR3535 according to label instructions.
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As for protecting the public, the health department recommends doing what you can to keep mosquitoes away.
